Plans are under way to stage the first Tanzania schools hockey tournament next year, according to national ladies team coach Valentina Qaranta.
The Italian told the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam that they intend to organise the novel tournament next year as they believe players who are currently undergoing hockey training in schools will be ready by then.
Quantara said she is happy to see their efforts to promote the game in the country have reached Lindi region. “We are sure that Lindi Secondary School students and other schools will get ready for the inaugural championship,” Qantara said.
The Italian coach and Tanzania Hockey Association (THA) have been doing a wonderful job to revive hockey in the country by introducing it to some schools in Dar es Salaam.
Hockey is currently being played at Makongo Secondary School, International School of Tanganyika (IST) and University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).
THA Assistant Secretary Mnonda Magani recently told the ‘Daily News’ that they are also trying to reach Lugalo, Mirambo, Ukonga and Jica primary schools all of Dar es Salaam.
Quaranta said that hockey has also been introduced in Lindi region. She thanked Frank Sulawa, a young Geography and Kiswahili teacher working at Lindi Secondary School.
Quaranta said that Sulawa started playing hockey last May, when they started operating the hockey project for UDSM students. Since then, she said, Sulawa, who was studying physical education at the university, has been passionate with hockey.
“He first played for the newly founded University Team, then he decided to introduce hockey at his school in Lindi,” she said. She added that in July, Sulawa left Dar for Lindi with some wooden hockey sticks made by prisoners in partnership with the Hockey Tanzania project and some balls in his bag.
“He showed his students the new game and some of them got curious and started to play. Surprisingly, they really enjoyed it!” Quantara said.
She said that word spread out and more youngsters joined hockey practices and in a few weeks the group reached around 20 players. Quantara, however, lamented the poor participation of women in the sport.
BY MBONILE BURTON, Tanzania Daily News